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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (May 16, 2017) from the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, featuring the go home show to the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this Sunday night in Chicago.
Advertised for tonight: Rusev shows up to make some demands, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAY 16
Well it's a strange way, the way you look at me. And it's a hard time; time you been givin' me. Come on and open up; open up to me. So you can realize that I could set you free, as I liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with the SmackDown intro video.
Commentary hypes up our announced matches tonight and we cut to the ring, where Kevin Owens is hosting the Highlight Reel. He welcomes us to the new and improved Highlight Reel with the new Face of America and your United States of America Champion, Kevin Owens.
He's taking the show over because the original host will never, ever, EVER be seen a-gain. This prompts a clip on the Jeritron of Owens winning the title back and destroying Chris Jericho after from a few weeks back. KO says Jericho was obsessed with scarves and lists and gifts, but the only list he's on now is the injured list and that's because of him.
And what he did to Chris Jericho was only a sneak preview of Backlash, where he's going to beat AJ Styles. Now that that's out of the way, he introduces his guest for the evening in French, because he can...
Enter AJ Styles. He says he watched Kev steal Jericho's thunder and everything for over a year but he didn't think he'd stoop to stealing his show. KO says he didn't steal anything, and anything Jericho could do he could do better, and that includes beating Styles. He asks what AJ is doing here, because he's sure not invited to his show.
AJ says it's his bad, he did terribly in French class in high school and didn't learn a thing. So he'll say it in English, because he can-- on Sunday, he's gonna beat Owens for the United States Championship and bringing it back to the good ol' US of A! And hey, who are we kidding? Why wait until Sunday when we can do it right now?
Enter Jinder Mahal, flanked by the Singh Brothers. He asks Styles what he's doing here when the Maharaja is supposed to be the guest on the Highlight Reel. KO says that's right and talks about how AJ interrupted like a true American, sticking his nose where he didn't belong. Jinder was supposed to talk about his title match at Backlash, y'see.
Mahal says Backlash will be just like last week, where he pinned Randy Orton. All of us Americans will be bowing down at the Maharaja's feet when he becomes WWE Champion. AJ tells him to focus on tonight or he might not make it to Sunday, but Jinder responds with a Gandhi quote... in Punjabi.
"In order to find yourself, you must first lose yourself", and AJ will find himself in nothing but agony, because he's gonna lose just like Orton will. Owens says that's a rough week for Styles, losing to Jinder tonight and to him on Sunday. AJ gets in the ring to confront him and KO bails.
Styles says he's not gonna run Sunday night, but if Jinder wants to get in here right now he'll start the AJ Styles Highlight Reel!
The match will begin after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell to ring!
AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal
Circling, collar and elbow, Jinder backs AJ into the corner and referee Jason Ayers forces a break. Collar and elbow again, Styles passes Mahal into the corner and wants some more! Go behind, side headlock, shoot off, shoulder block sends AJ into the ropes but he fires some leg kicks off. Jinder catches one and shoves him to the mat but AJ has the boots up on the charge.
To the apron, slingshot in, leap frog, drop down, Styles scores with a huge dropkick! Jinder shoves him face-first into the turnbuckles and kneels on him against the ropes before throwing a few knee drops. Drawing the Phenomenal One to his feet and dropping him with a punch, running kick to the ribs and Styles falls to the apron, trying to drag himself up the ropes.
Mahal cuts him off and puts boots to him, finishing with a knee drop as the Singh Brothers cheer him on. Pulling AJ to his feet but Styles blocks an attempt to suplex him inside and knocks him back with a shoulder block. Slingshot forearm connects and AJ follows it with chest kicks. Thinking Styles Clash, Jinder blocks and Styles catches him with the Styles Rush.
Looking to go off the ropes but he catches the Singhs ready to trip him up and stops short. This lets Mahal Hot Shot him and catch him with a running knee for a nearfall as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Jinder has a knee in AJ's back and a rear chinlock locked on. He shifts to overhead elbows and a stomp in passing as Styles writhes on the mat. Off the ropes, basement dropkick, only two, and he locks the Phenomenal One back down with a reverse chinlock.
AJ grabs Mahal's ear and reverses to a jawbreaker but gets bowled over with a back elbow before he can get any momentum going. Running stomp, hammer whip, again only two, and Jinder uses a suplex lift to get Styles on the top turnbuckle. Following after, thinking superplex but AJ slips out and knocks him down!
Boot up on the charge, Mahal pops himself to the second, diving brain chop but Styles catches him with a dropkick! AJ ducking punches and throwing his own, whip reversed, dropkick to Jinder's knee! Sliding forearm gets a nearfall and he draws Mahal up for a punch but gets backed into the corner.
Shoulder thrusts but AJ gets him on the shoulders, Jinder escapes, off the ropes, another boot, only two. Pele kick, jumping lariat in the corner, Ushigoroshi... NO DICE! Mahal heads outside but AJ cuts him off with a huge baseball slide and brings him back in!
Charge in the corner, up and over to the apron, Jinder's in place but the Singh Brothers run interference and Owens clips AJ's leg with the United States Championship belt! Mahal is ready to capitalize...
Jinder Mahal wins by pinfall with the cobra clutch slam, which has been officially named Khallas.
Jinder and the Singhs celebrate up the ramp while AJ writhes in agony, clutching his knee. He and Owens have a staredown from ring to ramp after.
Commentary hypes up Baron Corbin vs. Randy Orton and the contract signing for the women's tag match at Backlash for later, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, once again Lana takes time out of her busy schedule of being terrible on Twitter to give us another vignette for her eventual redebut.
Time for a new installment of the Fashion Files! Fandango is talking about fashion felonies and apparel atrocities when Tyler Breeze comes through wearing a bald cap, a fake moustache, and a coverall. Dango asks him about the recogn-- recon-- undercover work. Tyler has several exhibits of uggo fashion, including Sami Zayn's underwear and one of the Usos' "Day One Ish" hoodies.
Breeze freaks out about how luxurious their hair is and Fandango snaps him out of it, reminding him he's Prince Pretty and assuring him that on Sunday they'll be champions. Breeze says finally their day one will be H, and they do a freeze frame high five.
They'll be wrestling the Colons after the break.
Randy Orton rolls into an interview first, and he says that Jinder thinks the American people don't respect him because of how he looks and sounds, because of ignorance and intolerance. But the truth is, people don't like Jinder because Jinder's an ass.
Breezango make their entrance, and we go to break.
Back from commercial and the match is in progress.
Breezango (Fandango & Tyler Breeze) vs. Epico & Primo Colon
The Colons are working Tyler over with quick tags, Epico shoving him shoulder-first into the ringpost for two before caving his face in with punches. Primo in, suicide senton scrapes across Breeze's back but still only two. Targeting the arm, knee drop and a kneeling armbar. Tyler to his feet but Colon keeps him off balance and chokes him in the corner.
Smashing Prince Pretty's face int othe turnbuckles, hard whip, corner lariat, another hard whip but he dodges the charge and gets an enzuigiri off for some separation. Tags made on both sides, Fandango comes in hard with the Jay Briscoe turning jabs, Epico kicks him in the face but gets a spinning wheel kick in return.
Tyler and Primo dumped, running interference, schoolboy gets two, Fandango has Epico in his sights...
Breezango win by pinfall with a Falcon Arrow from Fandango on Epico Colon.
The Usos come to the stage after, cutting a promo. Five days after Backlash, they want to be funny, do it for the social media, but the Usos do it for the titles, for the day one ish. Wanna roleplay? Good guys and bad guys, cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, cops and inmates, but how 'bout they flip the script?
This is not their precinct, cops, no, this is the Usos Penitentiary, where they make all the rules and on Sunday they take Breezango to trial. They have a right to remain vicious, anything they say can and will put them in stitches. they have a right to a gurney but one will not be provided for them.
They got goosebumps, their head is on a swivel like they got somebody following them, but it's not paranoia, it's the Usos!
Becky Lynch and Naomi are walking backstage when they run into Charlotte Flair. The contract signing is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, Shane McMahon makes his entrance.
He asks how everybody's doing tonight (bit of a headache but I'm good, thanks, Shane), and talks about how he thinks SmackDown is WWE's premier brand, and one of the reasons for that is their women's division. At Backlash, they're gonna have a six-woman tag, and he's gonna introduce us to a few of them.
The Welcoming Committee of Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina (with James Ellsworth) are out first, as a group. And next, their opponents, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Naomi, one by one. Natalya starts off saying it's funny seeing the three of them pretend to be BFFs, but the one word that comes to mind looking at them is pathetic.
Becky had her chance to join them but it's too late and Nattie can't wait to tell her she told her so. At Backlash, they'll prove who's the best there is, was, and ever will be. She signs the contract. Tamina up next, signing with no fanfare, and Carmella as well.
Lynch gets on the mic and says Neidhart did give her a chance but there was no chance in hell she'd join her little goon squad. Sunday at Backlash they're finally facing even numbers and she can't wait to slap all their faces, and Becky signs. Naomi says instead of focusing on the past, they need to focus on their next hair appointment, 'cause on Sunday they're gonna get snatched bald, especially Jimmy Dream.
Charlotte says those three have had an issue with her since she came to SmackDown. They moaned, they complained, and they formed their little babysitter's club. They better bring everything they have to the table, because in Chicago they're gonna solve their problem, and then the queen is coming for her crown. She signs.
Ellsworth interrupts Shane helping out by saying he appreciates the help but the kid can take care of himself. Shane is confused and Jimmy talks about Becky looking at him longingly, but he has to put water on her straight fire, because in the words of Vinny Mac, she has no chance in hell.
Charlotte looks at him as a potential king to her queen, but he's the prince to the Princess of Staten Island, and Naomi is out here flapping her gums, but with her he'll get straight to the point. Eventually Carmella's gonna stop her flow, take her title, and steal her glow, duh!
Naomi goes to throttle him and Carmella smashes her face into the table! Naomi and Carmella have to be held back from each other and Shane makes the match for after the break!
Back from commercial in time for the bell to ring!
Carmella vs. Naomi
Naomi goes right after Carmella backing her into the ropes and forcing her to take a breather. Collar and elbow, punches, Carmella again seeks the sanctuary of the ropes. Lou Thesz Press into mounted punches, to the corner, leaping forearm strike, running bulldog into the turnbuckles and the champ finishes up with a dropkick from the apron for two.
Kneeling armbar, Carmella to her feet but Naomi switches to a wristlock and keeps the pressure up. Back to the mat and the armbar, Carmella to her feet and out, stomp to the back of the knee and a face smash into the mat shift the momentum. Whip reversed to a kick to the gut, the champion's back in it, whip, thinking Rear View but Jimmy Dream yanks his friend who is a girl out of the ring!
The referee ejects Ellsworth and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Naomi is doing the turnbuckle butt shake, to my dismay. Carmella throws a weak leg kick and Naomi returns in kind, hard. Again, they keep trading, Carmella flinches and Naomi ends up shotgun dropkicking her and the Princess of Staten Island bails.
Trying to leave over the barricade, Naomi follows and Carmella lays her out on the floor with a superkick! Referee Danilo Anfibio counts but Naomi makes it back in at eight. Carmella is ready for her with mounted punches, a cover, only two. Boot to the face in the corner, moonwalk, Bronco Buster connects, again just two and she locks a reverse chinlock in.
A few knees, whip to the corner, champ gets the elbow up, kick out of the corner, Duck a lariat, throws one of her own, back elbow, Speedball kicks, Carmella ducks the buzzsaw but gets caught by the jawbreaker! Up and over to the apron, a roundhouse kick drops her and Naomi climbs but the rest of the Welcoming Committee go to attack and the referee sends them to the back as well!
They go to leave but turn around and get into a brawl with Flair and Lynch! Naomi kicks at Tamina but Carmella is ready...
Carmella wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin.
Commentary shills for the WWE Network and hypes up Corbin/Orton before sending us to break.
Back from commercial we get an inspirational poster that is actually another video package to remind us that the New Day are coming soon.
Dolph Ziggler is in the locker room, talking about how he never understood the hype about Shinsuke Nakamura. He just wants to figure out why everybody thinks he's so great, and he did his homework, did his research, and he's gonna show us all the remarkable things Nakamura has done here.
A video rolls but "Footage not found" pops up, and Dolph explains that he's done nothing in WWE, but Ziggler has done everything, and he has a reminder of all he's done, in video package form. After, he says that everybody's looking forward to Shinsuke's debut at Backlash, and so is he, because for all he's done, nothing will bring him more joy that to spit in the face of all the hypocrites who have turned their backs on him by beating Nakamura before he begins.
Sami Zayn rolls into an interview and he has an announcement to make-- he's been granted his match against Baron Corbin at Backlash. He thinks Corbin is threatened by him, because in some ways he's dangerous to a guy like Baron, because he's a sign that he's not as dominant as he thinks he is.
What happens to a guy like that when he runs into a guy like Sami that he can't keep down? It's a threat to his ego, and that's more dangerous-- BARON CORBIN BLINDSIDES HIM! He tells Sami that if he doesn't learn to stay down, he's gonna put him down permanently, and smashes his face into the floor for good measure.
Randy Orton makes his entrance, his match against Corbin is after the break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for Talking Smack and 205 Live.
TJP cuts a promo saying good things come to people who wait is a tired cliche and it's wrong. Most of us have to wait, because we're not good enough to take what we want. #1 contender Austin Aries has what he wants, and tonight, he's done with him.
Baron Corbin vs. Randy Orton
Circling, collar and elbow, Corbin forces Orton in the corner but Randy pushes him back to the center and they break. Shoves, back to the lockup, Randy with a side headlock, he blocks the shoot-off, takeover, Baron with a headscissors, again, and once more before they go back to the shoving.
The Viper goes for the RKO early and the Lone Wolf blocks it! Back to the headlock, Orton backs Corbin in the corner but Baron slaps him in the throat on the break. Randy off the ropes, shoulder block, leap frog, knee to the midsection, Orton with a one-armed mat slam.. A few stomps, kick to the collarbone, up to the second, diving axehandle.
Orton presses the attack with punches, backing Baron in the corner again. Whip, Corbin slides outside and back in with a lariat for a two count to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Orton misses a knee drop as Corbin rolls away. Putting boots to him in the corner as referee Brian Nguyen backs him off, he goes back for another round and yells in Nguyen's face. Choking the Viper over the ropes, but he fights back with punches and headbutts.
Knee to the gut in return, whip into the corner, more boots, cover, only two. Half nelson neck crank applied, Randy to his feet, body blows, a headbutt, Baron throws a knee. Whip, slide outside, back in, Orton ducks the lariat but Corbin lays him out with a boot, but it's only good for a nearfall.
Lone Wolf jawing at Randy, off the ropes with a cracking right hand and he's got more trash talk for the Viper. Stomps, trading blows, Corbin lays the WWE Champion out again. Goozle, thinking chokebreaker but Randy fights out. Baron on the charge, Orton sidesteps him and his shoulder goes into the ringpost!
A lariat, another, ducks one in return, snap scoop powerslam, the Viper is feeling it! Baron to the apron, putting himself right into position for the rope-hung DDT and Orton obliges, snapping him down and going to that special place. But Corbin has the RKO scouted, blocks it, Deep Six... NO GOOD!
Another pass outside, Baron back in, Orton is ready...
Randy Orton wins by pinfall with the RKO.
Jinder Mahal comes down to tell Orton to relish his victory and savor his time with the title, because at Backlash, he's going to destroy his body, his pride, and his future as he walks out-- The Singh Brothers attack Orton! He fends them off and throws them outside, and manages to cut Mahal off on the apron!
Double rope-hung DDT set up on the Singhs but Jinder comes from behind and starts beating Randy down with a bit of assistance from the brothers. They draw him up and Jinder puts him down with Khallas before ordering them to bring the WWE Championship title belt to him.
Jinder stands tall with the title.
That's the show, folks.